title: Electroencephalogram power density and slow wave sleep as a function of prior waking and circadian phase.
abstract: Human sleep electroencephalograms, recorded in four experiments, were subjected to spectral analysis. Waking prior to sleep varied from 12 to 36 h and sleep was initiated at different circadian phases. Power density of delta and theta frequencies in rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep increased monotonically as a function of prior waking. The increase of power density in the theta frequencies contrasts with the reported decrease of theta activity as detected by period-amplitude analysis. Slow wave activity (power density, 0.25-4.0 Hz) in NREM sleep during the first 3 h of sleep did not deviate significantly from the homeostatic process S of the two-process model of sleep regulation. In contrast, visually scored slow wave sleep, stages 3 and 4, deviated from this prediction at some circadian phases. It is concluded that, in accordance with the two-process model of sleep regulation, slow wave activity in NREM sleep depends on prior waking and is not significantly influenced by circadian phase.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dijk
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Beersma
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Borbély
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*